


Protective Instincts

by RaeDMagdon



Series: The Best Entertainment [35]
Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Angst, F/F, Family, Family Drama, Fluff, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Worried Parents, grandchildren!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:54:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25773166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaeDMagdon/pseuds/RaeDMagdon
Summary: Lycoris and Athena have some news for their respective parents.
Relationships: Athena T'Soni/Lycoris Tevos, Female Shepard/Liara T'Soni, Tevos/Aria T'Loak
Series: The Best Entertainment [35]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/25567
Comments: 34
Kudos: 97





	Protective Instincts

**Author's Note:**

> I can't BELIEVE I forgot to post this!!! Anyway, here it is. The Grapeberries telling their parents they're pregnant. Enjoy.

“I fear we have a problem.”

Aria leaned back against her infamous couch, refusing to indulge Liara’s all too obvious urgency. “People usually begin conversations with ‘hello’, T’Soni.” She paused to sip from her wine glass, aiming a bored look at the miniature hologram hovering above the omnitool on her opposite wrist.

“I didn’t call to receive a lecture on manners.” There wasn’t even a flicker of a smile about Liara’s full purple lips, and her brow was furrowed in thought, or perhaps worry. “I’ve uncovered important information concerning our children.”

“Go on.” Aria took another sip of Thessian red. From the stormy look on Liara’s face, she suspected she’d need it, especially if this ‘important information’ had to do with Lycoris and Athena. They’d matured well over the past two and a half centuries, but both were still magnets for trouble, as most maidens their age were.

“I suspect one of them is pregnant.”

_ Pregnant?‌!‌ _ Aria choked on her wine, spitting the mouthful back into her glass in a very undignified manner. She hurriedly set it aside and straightened her posture, giving Liara her full attention. “They can’t be,”‌ she stated once she caught her breath, as if saying so with enough conviction would make it true. “They’re much too young.”

“They’re in the latter half of their second century. Hardly too young, considering when I first conceived.”

Aria narrowed her eyes. “What evidence do you have?”

“Well, the most damning evidence, as Shepard would say, is the chicken and waffles.”

“I didn’t know those foods went together.” Aria’s previous experiences with human cuisine had occasionally included chicken, a light, all-purpose meat, and waffles, a soft, buttery flatcake with ingenious little pockets to hold syrup, but never both at once. One was an after-morning-sex breakfast food. The other, she preferred as a salad topping, or in the delightful, saucy mixture of spices Shepard called curry.

“More relevant to the subject at hand, it’s the same meal I craved during all three of my pregnancies. Athena called several days ago, begging Shepard for the recipe.”

Aria remained unconvinced. “Asking for a recipe doesn’t confirm a pregnancy.”

“What about visits to an asari obstetrician on Illium?‌ I‌ have footage.”

_ Of course you do. _ Aria sighed. “Why would they go all the way to Illium for appointments?”

“Why indeed?‌ Probably to avoid alerting you. A doctor on Omega might have been tempted to leak such information, either to you or other unsavory parties.”

Aria’s curiosity evaporated, and growing dread gnawed at her stomach instead.

_ Other unsavory parties. _

It had taken a good half-century to accustom herself to relying on Lycoris and Athena. Deep down, her parental instincts protested every time she sent them to supervise shipments, collect payments, or check on the various gangs that populated Omega station. Lately, she’d been impressed with their behavior, as well as their results. With‌ Lycoris as Queen-in-waiting, and Athena as the power behind the throne, even Aria had to admit they made a good team.

_ Well, the Dream Team has to split up, at least for a little while. This business is no place for a new mother with an infant. I should know. _

“I’ll find out which one,”‌ she promised. For once, she didn’t much feel like tormenting Liara, since their concerns were the same. “When I do, she’ll be benched from any potentially dangerous operations until such time as I feel it won’t endanger her or our future granddaughter.”

For the first time since calling, Liara smiled. “Thank you. I‌ normally wouldn’t interfere in the girls’ lives so much, but now that I‌ know, I‌ can’t un-know.”

“And you don’t want them pulling any stupid stunts while one of them’s knocked up. For once, T’Soni, we agree.” She hesitated, then added, “Any bets on which one?”

That earned a light, happy laugh from Liara, who seemed to be feeling much better. “Corrie, if I had to guess. She’s always been a romantic. Just the type to get swept up in the moment and conceive on accident.”

Aria snorted. “Bet you fifty thousand credits you’re wrong.”

“You think it’s Athena?” The light markings above Liara’s eyes lifted with interest.

“Yep. She’s so much like you it’s eerie, and you got pregnant young. Plus, she’s the one who asked for chicken and waffles.”

“That could have been for Corrie’s benefit. Perhaps she remembered eating them frequently while I was pregnant with her sisters.”

“Uh-huh.”‌ Aria retrieved her wine, swirling the remnants of the dark red liquid around the bottom of the glass. “Do we have a bet, T’Soni?”

“We do. And if you lose, I expect you to pay up this time.”

Aria feigned indignation. “I‌ always pay up.”

“You already owe me twenty thousand credits.”

“Not for long.” She ended the call, amused by the mental image of Liara’s undoubtedly irritated expression. Then, she finished her wine and took a moment to breathe. Well. A grandfather. She hadn’t been expecting that for another century or two at least. Fear churned in her gut again, an unfamiliar and unpleasant feeling. She hadn’t felt quite this vulnerable since Lycoris was a child.

_ Time to make a few calls. The sooner they come clean, the safer they’ll be. _

***

“What?  _ Both _ of you?”

Aria rarely broadcasted her feelings strongly. The Queen of Omega couldn’t afford to laugh at stupid jokes, cry when she was upset, or show a wide range of emotions. Her default settings were ‘threatening’ and ‘confident’ with outsiders, or ‘sarcastic’ and ‘playful’ with friends. But as Lycoris and Athena stood before her couch, holding each other’s hands tight, a barrage of feelings struck all at once. Surprise. Worry. Anger.

Anger was familiar enough, so Aria grabbed onto it. She rose from the couch, standing almost nose to nose with Lycoris and Athena. Her accusing glare shifted between them, showing no mercy. A single pregnancy at a time was one thing—at least there would be a second, fit parent to offer protection—but simultaneous pregnancies? That was irresponsible, bordering on stupid.

“How did this happen?”

“I’d rather not say.” Lycoris’s eyes dropped to her shiny black boots and stayed there, unmoving.

Athena, however, met Aria’s glare without flinching. “I’m sure you don’t want the details. It wasn’t exactly planned, but we’re happy.”

Aria’s jaw bunched. She’d taught her daughter and daughter-in-law well over the past hundred and fifty years. Lycoris was the face, publicly groomed to take Aria’s position, while Athena was the brains behind Omega’s queen-in-waiting. Though undeniably intelligent herself, Lycoris had a tender heart. Too tender, Aria sometimes thought. Athena, on the other hand, had an admirable streak of ruthless pragmatism. Very much Liara’s child, in that respect.

_ So why did they do something so stupid? _

Upset though she was, Aria didn’t miss Athena’s rising defensiveness, nor Lycoris’s increasing nervousness. She could practically hear Tevos’s voice in her head, scolding her for reacting so harshly. Perhaps slightly more compassion was in order.

“And you’re keeping them,”‌ she said, making an effort to soften her voice. Her mind traveled back in time, to a place of grief and gutting loss, but she didn’t let it show on her face. 

Lycoris lifted her chin, finally meeting Aria’s eyes. “Of course we are. Athena told you we’re surprised, but happy.”

In spite of the circumstances, Aria felt a flicker of pride.  _ That’s my girl. Show some spine. _ Not proud enough to refrain from speaking her mind, though. “This business isn’t kid-friendly. Corrie, your older sister was killed because of me.”

Lycoris flinched. Her eyes widened with hurt. “Dad…”

Aria brushed Lycoris off. She didn’t want to get bogged down in a conversation about Liselle, merely impress the potential danger upon both parents-to-be. “And Athena, your life has been threatened countless times since you started working for me. What in the Goddess’s name makes you two think you’re equipped to raise the Queen of‌ Omega’s granddaughters when you’re barely adults yourselves?”

Athena squared her shoulders. “My mom had me when she was a century younger than we are now. In the middle of a war, no less. We might be young, but we can take care of ourselves and our daughters.”

“Like you took care of the last shipment I sent you both to oversee?‌ You ended up in a firefight.”

Athena had the decency to look embarrassed. “Neither of us was shot.”

“Corrie,” Aria continued, “what about the contract killer who came after you last year?”

“I was only in the hospital for a day,”‌ Lycoris protested. “When are you gonna let that go?”

“Never. Shepard, Liara, and I have spent the last two and a half centuries training both of you, teaching you to defend yourselves. And yet, you’ve been in more life-threatening situations than I can count in the last decade alone. Now you want to care for a pair of helpless infants?”

Lycoris mumbled something unintelligible.

Aria’s gaze locked onto her. “If you have something to say, say it.”

Lycoris raised her voice. “You and Mom managed.”

Aria scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Through sheer luck. I still have nightmares someone will murder you. Besides, we weren’t pregnant at the same time. I was very much  _ not _ pregnant, and fit to protect your mother from any of my would-be enemies.”

“Don’t underestimate us, Dad,” Athena said. “We aren’t kids anymore. And being pregnant doesn’t suddenly make you helpless. It’s not a disease.”

Her use of the term ‘dad’ did nothing to soften Aria’s heart. “It’s a body and life-changing experience, and claiming you aren’t a kid is exactly what kids do.”

“Yeah, well, you fucked my mom when she was, what, a hundred and seven? I guess she was old enough to sleep with you, but even though we’re twice as old as she was, we’re not mature enough to have kids.”

Aria left the couch again, the powerful burn of anger racing through her limbs. She suppressed her biotics through sheer force of will. “If you’re as mature as you say you are, you’ll obey me.” She shifted her stare to Lycoris. “From now on, neither of you will work directly in the field until your children are born, and not for a long while after that, either.”

Both of them protested at once.

“What?”

“That’s not fair!”

“You said just last month that we were ready to take on more responsibilities.”

“That was before,” Aria said to Lycoris, who looked particularly disappointed. “I won’t let either of you walk into potential danger while you’re pregnant. End of discussion.”

“But what are we supposed to  _ do?” _ Athena complained, throwing up her hands in exasperation. “This has been our job for a century, and we do it damn well. Even you have to admit that.”

Aria jutted her chin forward, unimpressed by Athena’s outburst.  _ She reminds me of me at her age… which is exactly why I’m worried.  _ “There’s plenty of less dangerous work that goes into running this station. It isn’t all covert, potentially life-threatening operations.”

“Sounds riveting,” Lycoris muttered.

“Too bad. Last time I checked, I’m still Omega’s Queen, and you’ll suffer through a few years of financial records and data analysis if I say so.” 

Athena looked like she wanted to keep arguing, but Lycoris chose the path of least resistance. “Come on, The,” she said, retrieving Athena’s hand and tugging her toward the stairs. She turned her back on Aria, shoulders bristling under her leather jacket. “Let’s go. Give her a chance to cool off.”

“What?” Athena pulled her hand back, shooting Lycoris a betrayed look. “You can’t give up just because your father’s mad.”

“I’m not giving up—”

“I’m not mad,” Aria said, interrupting the pair of them, “but this isn’t up for discussion. You’re both benched until further notice. Deal with it.”

There was no room for argument in her tone this time. Lycoris and Athena retreated down the stairs, cowed in a way Aria hadn’t witnessed since they were in their seventies and eighties. As soon as they were out of sight, Aria sank back onto the couch and buried her face in her cupped hands. The space was warm and dark, but did little to comfort her.

_ Goddess. It’s happening all over again, isn’t it? _

***

“You’re serious,” Tevos said, fixing Aria with a suspicious stare. This wasn’t the type of joke her bondmate normally played, but the news was still hard to believe. Lycoris and Athena,  _ both _ pregnant? Certainly not the answer she’d expected when she inquired about the reason for Aria’s taciturn mood.

“Unfortunately. I could deal with one of them being pregnant, but both at the same time? And they want to keep working for me in the field until the kids are born. Idiots.” Aria took another swig of ryncol, throwing her head back to gulp the glowing green liquid before slamming the shot glass onto the breakfast bar. The clatter echoed through the kitchen, putting Tevos further on edge.

“That’s enough,” she said, reaching for the half-empty bottle beside the shot glass. When she gripped its neck, Aria’s fingers wrapped around hers. At first, she thought her bondmate was merely trying to retain her poison. Instead, Aria’s consciousness beat against the door to her mind, begging to be let in.

Tevos relented.

_ Loss. Grief. Unimaginable guilt. _

_ ‘Liselle…’ _

_ A limp corpse, lying sprawled in a pool of purple blood. A congealed black hole in her throat. _

_ ‘Corrie…’ _

_ Lycoris, lying unconscious in a hospital bed. _

_ ‘My daughters. It’s happening again…’ _

It took several moments for Tevos to regain some semblance of individuality amidst the raging ocean that was Aria. Nothing in the galaxy frightened the Queen of Omega, not enemies, not Reapers, not even the thought of her own death… except for losing the few people in the universe she actually cared about. Her family.

Gently but firmly, Tevos took control.  _ ‘No, my love.’ _

She guided Aria toward different memories. Lycoris as an infant, lying swaddled in her bassinet. Innocent and sleepy. Lycoris as a young child, dressed as a Justicar for Shepard’s human tradition of Halloween. Lycoris at Armax Arena, jumping for joy after achieving a perfect score on the shooting range. Tevos felt Aria’s hand tremble in hers, felt Aria’s soul tremble against hers, as memory-Lycoris threw herself into memory-Aria’s arms.

_ ‘I don’t want either of them to suffer the same loss I did. Losing a child… it’s almost unbearable.’ _

_ ‘Our future granddaughters are more than targets,’ _ Tevos thought. _ ‘They are more than new opportunities for pain and loss. Love has always been worth the risk before, hasn’t it? Now is no different.’ _

A long time passed before they returned to themselves. Tevos realized she was standing beside the breakfast bar, holding Aria in her arms. Sometime during the meld, Aria had left the stool for the comfort of her embrace. She kissed Aria’s cheek, still murmuring reassurances. “This is a good thing, I‌ promise. More love doesn’t always mean more pain.”

She allowed a little of her own excitement to creep into her voice. The idea of being a grandparent was growing on her rapidly—two brand new children to nurture, without the responsibility of being a primary caregiver.  _ Let Corrie and Athena deal with the constant feedings and sleepless nights. I’ll get to read to them and play with them. _

“I know it’s a good thing. I just need some time to adjust.” Aria heaved an exhausted sigh. “The humans have a saying for this: ‘old habits die hard’.”

“I’ve heard Shepard say that before, usually when I ask her why she needs a weapons safe in her bedroom.”

“Hmph.”‌ Aria snorted. “Did I tell you Athena mentioned that earlier?”

“Shepard’s weapons safe?”

“No. Us, Shepard, and Liara.”

Tevos’s eyes widened in alarm. “Really?” Though Lycoris and Athena had caught Aria and‌ Liara in the basement once— _ once _ —and received an honest, if redacted, explanation, neither one hadn’t brought it up since, for good reason.

“She said it was hypocritical of me to fuck her mom at a hundred and seven while also claiming she was too young to have kids at two hundred and sixty… something?”

“Four,”‌ Tevos supplied. “She’s one year older than Lycoris.”‌ Her embarrassment gave way to laughter, which she barely managed to stifle. “I hate to admit it, but Athena makes a good argument. Perhaps she should have followed my line of work instead.”

“I wish she had,” Aria said. “Then we wouldn’t have this problem.”

“Excuse me? Did you forget the time I was kidnapped?”

“That was a one-off. Also, don’t remind me.”

“Perhaps you’re worrying too much. Underestimating them, as they claim. Liara survived the Reaper invasion and had a child when she was half their age, as Athena was kind enough to remind you.”

Aria merely rolled her eyes. “Liara barely even had a maiden stage. War aged her mind half an eon before I even met her. But the kids…”‌ She sighed. “Maybe I coddled Lycoris too much. Protected her too long.”

“No. Protecting our children is our job, and we’ve done well so far.”‌ Tevos didn’t miss the shadow that flickered across Aria’s face. She would have recognized the guilt there even if she hadn’t been Aria’s bondmate for almost three hundred years, and she could guess its source. “I know you tried your best with Liselle, too.”

“No, I didn’t, but I‌ learned from my mistakes. Lycoris benefitted. Hopefully our granddaughters will, too.”

“They will,”‌ Tevos agreed. “They couldn’t be safer with any other grandparents in the galaxy.”

For the first time that evening, Aria smiled. _ Perhaps ‘smirked’ is a better descriptor, _ Tevos mused as Aria’s lips curled into a particularly wicked shape. “True. My first thought was, ‘If anything happens to them, I’d love to see how Shepard handles the culprits’, but then I‌ realized Liara’s revenge would be even more terrifying.”

“Agreed,” Tevos said, suppressing a shudder. She was certain she didn’t want to know what Shepard, Liara, and Aria might do to any potential enemies who came after their granddaughters. Shepard was still quite active for a centuries-old human, thanks to her genetic modifications and numerous cybernetic body parts, and at almost four hundred, Liara was just entering her prime. Tevos privately doubted the Reapers would have made it out of dark space to begin with, had Liara been a few centuries older and wiser at the start.

“Shit,”‌ Aria said, interrupting Tevos’s thoughts. “While I was busy being angry, I forgot all about the bet.”

Tevos’s suspicions were immediately aroused. “What bet? With Liara? Oh, why am I even asking. Of course it’s with Liara.”

“We had a bet going for which one was pregnant. I’m not sure if we both win, or both lose.”

“You both win,” Tevos said, “and hopefully, your reward will be two happy, healthy granddaughters.”

Aria sighed, turning her stool outward to rest her elbows on the breakfast bar. “Pity. I could’ve taken you on a nice vacation with fifty thousand credits… I suppose I should apologize to the girls, too. Some precautions are necessary, but forcing financial reports on them for the next decade might be a little extreme.”

Tevos laughed. “You say that word like it’s poison.”

“Which one, ‘apologize’ or ‘financial reports’?”

“Both.”

“Hmph. It’s embarrassing, apologizing to my own kids,” Aria said, refusing to meet Tevos’s eyes. “Or anyone, I suppose. But especially my kids.”

Tevos wasn’t fooled by her bondmate’s nonchalant body language for a moment. “Lycoris will understand. She’ll probably be relieved to have your support.”

Aria rolled her eyes. “She knows. She’s my daughter.”

“Does she, though?” Tevos said. “You’re harder to read than you think.”

“Fine.” Looking much aggrieved, Aria abandoned her disinterested pose and turned on her omnitool. “I’ll invite them for dinner tomorrow. Clear your schedule.”

“I believe you mean, ‘Would you please clear your schedule, darling, so I can make up for my poor overreaction?’” Tevos said, activating her own omnitool.

“Don’t take that attitude with me unless you intend to pay for it later,” Aria growled.

Tevos smiled as she texted. She fully intended to pay for it, and would enjoy doing so. Besides, she sensed Aria might need a little more reassurance than she was willing to ask for. Her bondmate felt certain things deeper than anyone, even their daughter, knew.

***

“There’s still time to bail,” Lycoris said, hesitating outside the door to Aria’s Omega apartment. She shuffled her feet on the impeccably polished hallway floor, full of nervous energy. “I understand if you need more time before, you know, dealing with my parents. I’ll fake sick if you want, so they think it’s my fault.”

“Fake?”

Athena gave Lycoris a skeptical look, causing her to flush even purpler than usual. Her bondmate didn’t miss a thing. She truly did feel like she might be sick, right on her parents’ doorstep. Then again, that might have been pregnancy hormones talking. Her body had been doing all sorts of weird things lately.

“Okay,” she admitted. “Maybe not so fake.”  _ And maybe Dad’s right about taking it easier. Can’t exactly dodge rounds while I feel like puking. _

“Corrie.” Athena turned toward Lycoris, taking her hands in a soft, reassuring grip. “We talked about this. Your dad will ease up.”

Lycoris struggled to swallow around a lump in her throat. “That’s what you think.”

“I  _ know,” _ Athena insisted. She did a pretty good job of sounding confident, but Lycoris knew better. Athena liked to pretend Aria didn’t frighten her, but in reality, she craved Aria’s approval almost as much as Lycoris did—especially since Aria had begun grooming her as a successor.

“Well…” Lycoris took a breath, gathering her courage, and placed a hand over her abdomen. To her surprise, the bewildering knowledge that a child was growing inside her added some steel to her spine. She wasn’t eighty anymore, begging her parents for permission to do things—or sneaking around to do them without permission. She was a fully grown adult, on the verge of becoming a parent herself. Surely she and her father were capable of having an adult conversation. “Let’s get this over with. Maybe Mom convinced Dad to offer the olive branch.”

“The what?” Athena asked.

“How do I know that one and you don’t? Your dad’s the human.”

“So that means I should automatically know every weird human saying? There’s a shit ton.”

Lycoris rolled her eyes and knocked on the door before she lost her nerve. It opened almost immediately, but instead of Tevos, whom she’d expected to greet them first, considering Aria’s previous frame of mind, she found herself standing face to face with her father.

For a moment, Lycoris couldn’t breathe. Anxiety swelled in her chest, threatening to overtake her until Aria placed a hand on her shoulder. It was heavy, but reassuring. She nodded, motioning them into the apartment.

Lycoris tried to read her father’s face, but the attempt was an utter failure. Aria’s expression was blank. Reserved. Neither angry, nor warm and welcoming.  _ But she did touch me, and she’s telling me to come in. _ She stepped inside, refusing to let go of Athena’s hand.

“Smells good,” Athena said, breaking the unbearably loud silence. “What’re we having?”

Lycoris froze again as Aria and Athena locked into a staring contest. It reminded her of two alpha varren sizing each other up before a fight. But after a few moments, Aria smirked, and the atmosphere relaxed. “Alcohol. For me, anyway. Not for either of you.”

The knot of tension in Lycoris’s chest unravelled some more. She smiled, too. “Ryncol?”

“That was last night. I’ve moved on to the ‘expensive wine’ stage of coping.” Aria worked her tattooed lips, an uncharacteristic gesture Lycoris wasn’t sure she’d ever seen her father make before. “I was too hard on you two yesterday. You’ll be good parents. You’ll fuck up a lot—that’s a given—but eventually, you’ll be good. I’m sure we can find a happy medium between financial reports and throwing yourselves into explosions.”

Lycoris’s heart leapt. This time, when she looked into her father’s eyes, she found the warmth she craved. It almost made her want to run into Aria’s arms, but she remained where she was, blinking back tears.  _ Ugh. More pregnancy hormones.  _ “Thanks, Dad. It, um. Means a lot. That you think we’ll be good parents.”

Instinctively, Lycoris’s wet eyes darted to Athena, to see how her bondmate had taken that pronouncement. To her relief, Athena seemed amused. “That’s pretty quick change of opinion,” she said to Aria.

“I lied yesterday when I claimed you weren’t ready,” Aria said by way of explanation. “Really, I wasn’t ready. Still not. But you’re the ones having kids, not me. So.” She turned, heading for the kitchen. “Come eat before your Mom comes looking for us.”

Obediently, Lycoris followed, feeling like she could float. The weight of her worries had all but lifted, and she was suddenly starving.

“Was that an apology?” Athena whispered, pulling Lycoris back a few steps so Aria wouldn’t overhear.

“I think so,” Lycoris murmured. “About as close to one as my dad ever gives. She  _ never _ admits she’s wrong.”

“Do you think I’m forgiven for what I said yesterday?”

“Yes, but you aren’t as quiet as you think you are,” Aria called from the kitchen.

Lycoris heard her mother’s laughter float from nearby. “That hasn’t changed since their seventies.”

Athena’s shoulders relaxed, and she let out a quiet groan. “Thank the Goddess.”

Lycoris dropped Athena’s hand and wrapped an arm around her waist, offering support. Athena had been her rock over the past day and a half, but she knew her bondmate had struggled with her own private worries, too. “Let’s go. I actually feel like eating for the first time in a while.”

“Not if I eat everything first. I smell…” She sniffed, and a dreamy smile came across her face. “Human food. Fried chicken and waffles? Oh, Goddess.” She moaned, licking her lips. “I’ve never seen your parents make or eat that.”

“That’s because they didn’t,” another voice said, one that sent a renewed bolt of panic down Lycoris’s spine. She stiffened as Admiral Shepard emerged from the kitchen, wearing an apron over a pair of sweatpants and brandishing a spatula. Despite her age, the woman was still every inch a soldier. Though her hair had lost its red color in favor of lustrous silver, and her face bore deep wrinkles, she crossed the room with plenty of energy and speed.

“Dad!” Athena dropped Lycoris’s hand and ran forward, launching herself into Shepard’s arms. Shepard picked her up and spun her around, still holding the spatula awkwardly in one hand.

After planting a noisy kiss on Athena’s head, Shepard detached and came to offer Lycoris a hug as well. Lycoris accepted, though she remained stiff in Shepard’s muscular arms. “Congrats, kiddo.”

Lycoris’s mouth opened and closed several times before she managed to reply—both because of Shepard’s impressive, lung-squeezing strength, and her own shock. “You know?” she stammered.

“Before you get mad, it wasn’t your parents who spilled the beans.” Shepard ended the hug and glanced at Athena. “Your mom figured it out first and told Aria.”

Athena’s expression was pure annoyance. Her eyes narrowed, and her lower lip poked out in what Lycoris considered to be an adorable pout.  _ “How?” _

“Investigative research,” Liara said, exiting the kitchen as well. Like Shepard, she wore an apron, and there was a white sweep of flour on her nose, which she hurried to wipe away. Somehow, Lycoris thought, she still managed to look dignified.

“Mom,” Athena whined, sounding several centuries younger than her age. “We’ve talked about this. You aren’t supposed to Shadow Broker your own children.”

Liara waved away the comment. “If you don’t wish to be observed, do a better job concealing your activities. Benezia does.” 

“Because Benezia’s into freakier stuff than me,” Athena muttered. Still pouting, she submitted to her mother’s hug with only mild reluctance.

Shepard wagged the spatula in Athena’s direction. “Your mom snoops because she cares. Also, because she doesn’t listen when I tell her to turn off the terminals and go to bed.”

Liara looked mildly offended, but any lighthearted argument that might have taken place was interrupted by Aria’s shouting. “Shepard, get your ass in here. Your weird food is burning.”

Shepard’s eyes widened. She hurried back into the kitchen while Liara and Tevos followed at a slower pace, laughing softly.

“Well,” Lycoris said once they were alone, “that’s that, I guess.” She felt relieved, scarcely able to believe it was over. And Shepard hadn’t even threatened to shoot her this time. That was a marked improvement from a hundred and seventy years prior.

Athena blew out a heavy puff of air through her lips. “Yep. That just happened.”

They looked at each other, then burst out laughing. Athena braced a hand on Lycoris’s arm, and Lycoris bent down, resting their foreheads together as they shared the joy of the moment. A few tears escaped, but she wasn’t ashamed of them. In fact, she felt like she deserved them.

“Oh shit,” Athena said at last, still short of breath. “Know what I just realized?”

“What?” Lycoris asked.

“We haven’t told Grandpa Aethyta yet.”

Lycoris wilted. “Can we just not?”

“She deserves to know she’s getting two great granddaughters.”

“But she’ll… you know.”

“Knowing her, she’ll probably ask how the sex was,” Athena commented dryly. “Not that it’s ever anything other than amazing.”

“Nope.” Lycoris detached herself from Athena, striding toward the kitchen. “We’re not talking about your Grandpa Aethyta right now. We’re not even  _ thinking _ about that.”

“What about your Mom’s mom?”

“Nope. Nope nope nope. No great-grandparents. Chicken and waffles.” Lycoris entered the kitchen at a brisk march, with Athena still laughing behind her.


End file.
